The launch of Black History Month proved to be a very special occasion for me.  I was very pleased to be part of this event and to make it a public occasion with a speech on the steps of the Guildhall; several members of the public attended.

Afterwards I welcomed some of the attendees into the Parlour and we discussed how I could help publicise other events to promote this month. I look forward to getting more involved and having more to tell you in this column.

This week I also discussed how I can assist the City Council and Platform Housing in the relaunch of the Talk to me Worcester campaign.  This campaign aims to promote friendship and neighbourliness, bring people together to talk, create safe places to meet and to welcome new arrivals to the City.  The second phase of the campaign was launched in January of this year and would have continued to May, but because of the pandemic the activities have been halted and we are now trying to move it forward again.

On Friday I was very pleased to open the Outdoor Art Gallery Trail, which starts in the Hopmarket.  A call was put out to artists to create a piece of art on the theme of Hope and Joy.  Eight artists were chosen from around 60 to create a piece of work to sit in a vacant shop unit window.  These displays will be in the shops from today and can be found around the City.  I do hope when you are out and about in town you will look out for them.  This project has provided work for local artists and has also provided inspiration for our futures through the medium of empty shop windows.

Finally, I hope you are all keeping safe and remembering to wash your hands, keep a social distance from others and wear a face mask in all public places.  It is proving to be a longer battle than many of us imagined at the beginning of this pandemic.  As winter approaches we may find it harder to observe these rules, but it is essential that we do so if we are to keep safe.